Track-switch



(No Model.)

' E. L. GILES.

TRACK SWITCH.

No. 321,356. PatentedJune 30,1885

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UNITED STATES Parnar'r @rrrcn.

EDXVIN L. GILES, OF LOIVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 32 dated Julie 1835-Applieation filed August '23. 1882. (No model.) Patented in France July3, 1883, and in Germany July 3, 1883.

T 0 will whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. GILES, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain. newand useful Improvements in Track- Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to switches for directing carriers traveling onatrack provided with branches from the main or single track onto eitherof said branches, or from either of said branches onto the main track,and said inventionhas special but not exclusive reference to switchesfor the tracks of cashcarrying systems, so called, such as are shown anddescribed in United States Letters Patent No. 258,585, granted May 30,1882, upon the ap plication of William S. Lamson.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trackprovided with branches, and of the switch-rail and operating mechanism,the switch-rail being in the position it occupies when not in use. Fig.2 is a side elevation of a portion of the track and switch-operatingmechanism, and a carrier operating said mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan of apart of the track and branches with the switch-rail in the positionshown in Fig. 1, also with the bell-crank lever connected to theswitch-rail, and with part of the frame which supports the operatingmechanism.

A A are rails,which together form a single track, A, (from the left endin Fig. 1,) to the point of the switch-rail B, and beyond that pointmaybe the outer rails of the branches 0 O, the inner rails of saidbranches being designated by the letters 0 G or, for convenience, thetrack A C may be regarded as the main line and the track 0 as a branchor siding. The switch-rail B is wedge-shaped, so that its point may lieup against either of the rails A or A and enable said switch-rail toform a continuation of the top and inner face of either of said rails AA and the large end of said switch-rail is pivoted at B to a crosstie,D, which underlies and connects all the rails A. A' 0 (l at that point,as shown in Fig. 8, or is halved or rabbeted together with the rails C 0and the upper half of the switchrail is pivoted to the rails (J G attheir junction, as shown in Fig. 1. It is evident that a carrier, M M,consisting of a hollow ball with its contents, rolling (from left toright in Fig. I) along the main track or single track will be directedonto the branch 0 when it reaches the switch-rails, being supported onone side by said switch-rail; also, that if the point of the switch-railwere moved over against the rail A a similar carrier so traveling wouldbe diverted onto the branch or siding G, the near side of the carrier inthe latter case being supported by the switclrrail. In the same way awagon or car with flanged wheels, like a railway car, might be directedfrom the single track onto either branch, the wheels of one side of thecar being supported on the switch rail. The switch-rail may be operatedby hand or by any of the well-known appliances commonly employed forthat purpose.

In a cash-carrying system like the one above referred to it is desirableto have the switch-rail moved automatically.

The devices for operating the switch-rail are supported upon a frame, F,consisting of a cross-tie, E, and two upright posts, I I. This frame maybe cast in one piece or not. To the tie E is pivoted the bent lever G,at G, thelong arm ofsaid lever being provided with a slot, G into whichprojects a pin, B, secured in a vertical position to the nnder side ofthe switch-rail, so that turning the lever G swings the switclrrail onits pivot B. A bellcrank lever, H, is pivoted to the frame F at H, itsvertical arm taking into a slot in the end of the short arm of the leverG, and its horizontal arm being provided with a stud,H-, which engageswith a hook, L, on the lower end of the connecting-rod L. The connecting rod L is pivoted at its upper end at L to the arm N. The arm Nis secured to the rockshaft N at right angles to the same. The shaft Nturns in bearings O O in the tops of the posts I I whenever thedown-hanging arm N secured to said shaft, is struck by a carrier M Mtraveling on the ways or tracks; That is, if a carrier is of sufficientdiameter, it'will strike the arm N (see Fig. 2,) rock the shaft N, liftthe rod L, and thereby move the levers H G and throw the switch-rail tothe left or nearest side of the track in Fig. 1, cansing the carrier orcaslrball to take the branch 0, while if the carrier is small enough itwill pass under the arm without touching and take the branch 0.

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If there were only two sizes of carriers or cash-balls M M, it wouldonly be necessary to adjust the length of the arm N so that balls of onesize would operate the switch while the smaller balls would not touchthe arm. The length of the arm N is adjusted (it being provided with ascrew-thread, P, at its upper end) by the nuts R and check-nuts R aboveand below the rock-shaft. The carriers must all pass the arm N eitherwithout touching the same or by moving the same sufficiently; hence itis necessary, in order that carriers having a diameter greater than issufficient to rock the shaft and turn the switch-rail may U pass underthe arm, that the hook L shall let go of the stud H when the switch-railis moved the proper distance, otherwise the larger carriers would beunable to pass, or the operating mechanism would be broken. Therefore Iprovide the connecting-rod L with a slot, L", inclined to the generaldirection and length of the rod L, andthrough this slot projects theprojection V, rigidly secured in the side of the post I, so that whenthe connecting-rod is raised the hook L will be drawn out from under thestud H as soon as the point of the switch is carried against the rail A.

WVhen the carrier has passed clear beyond the arm N, the shaft N isrocked back again by the weight of the arms N and N and conmeeting-rodL, so that the projection L drops down on the stud H and, through'thebent levers G H, pushes the switch-rail back into its position, as shownin Fig. 1. By means of the lost motion above described a large number ofcarriers of different sizes may be made to operate the switch withoutchanging the length of the arm N A spring connection between the leversmight be substituted for the construction described to permit of thelost motion neces sary. The pin N" or other device may be arranged atthe side or in any other position to be struck by the ball; and anysuitable connections may be interposed between it and the switch.

The switch above described is especially adapted for the return-way ofthe system described in the patent referred to above--that is, the waywhich leads from the cashiers desk to the stations of salesmen, beinginclined from said desk to said stations, or from left to right inFig. 1. Cars of different heights, or having thereon projectionsreaching to different heights, would evidently operate such aswitch.

By inclining the way shown in Fig. 1 in the opposite directionthat is,from right toleftthe switch-rail may be operated by the weight andmomentum of cash-balls to discharge the cash-balls from several stationsinto one way leading to the cashiers desk without the use of therock-shaft, rods, and levers above described. The rock-shaft, rods, andlevers may be placed on a branch to open a switch for a carrier to passonto the main line.

I claim as my invention 1. The track or way A of a store serviceapparatus, provided with branches 0 O, and a movable switch-rail, B, andmeans for causing said switch-rail to be operated by carriers of posespecified.

2. The combination of the rock-shaft N, provided with the arms N and N,and the switchrail B, and connecting mechanism, as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination of the switch B and operating mechanism with meansfor securing a lost motion in said operating mechanism, as and for thepurpose specified.

4. The combination of the rock-shaft provided with arms N N, theconnecting-rod L, provided with the inclined slot L and hook L, thestationary projection V,the lever H, provided with the stud H and theswitch-rail B and connecting mechanism.

5. The combination, in a cash-carrier system, of main and supplementalrails, aswitch, a pin or other suitable device arranged to be struck bycarriers upon the rails, and connections between the pin and the switch,whereby the latter is moved by and with the pin, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of rails, switch, connections, and pin adjustable,substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a caslrcarrier system, of a main track, a branchtrack, aswitch held normally in alignment with one of the tracks, and-alever and connecting means, whereby the switch is moved upon beingstruck by a carrier and is restored to position after the carrier haspassed the switch, substantially as described.

EDWIN L. GILES.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. MOORE, V WVILLIAM S. LAMSON.

